The understanding of the American Literary Canon is a fundamental aspect of literature that everybody should embrace. Reading through “the fall of the house of usher” by Edgar Allan Poe, I realized that the classification of artistic content based on the title might be misleading at some point. This article is a masterpiece guided by several aspects of society portraying multiple traits of a good story. Ideally, using the subjective understanding of Poe’s work, it is possible to evaluate some of the qualities of the story. I enjoyed reading the narrative, which seems to be dwelling on family, madness, supernatural powers, and the role of art in society. I think Poe is one the best authors in mysteries, romanticism, and perhaps social realities engulfed in imagery and symbolism.
While reading the story, I connected with much of Poe’s explanation of the setting, splendid environment. Poe sets the mood of the story right from the introduction, and I thought it was real life. In essence, the way he introduces the environment, the weather, and the event succinctly illustrate his prowess in mood-setting, which makes it relevant for all generations. One can vividly visualize the contextual implications of all the events unfolding within the introductory scene as a result of Poe’s diction.
At the same time, the setting of the story creates a lot of suspense for the reader as Poe describes his ordeal. I realized that the article provides a captivating scenario where one would want to know what happens next, from the physical location of the house, the owner- Roderick’s role, and how the two grew up together. This approach conveys a conventional picture of what would transpire in the life of modern youth, enjoying peer moments and enduring various climatic conditions. The mood is an essential aspect of story-telling because it attracts and retains the audience’s attention to detail.
In my view, the thematic choices also play a crucial role in determining whether the story should be in the canon or not. Poe focuses on the context of Usher’s family, where the members, including Roderick, are insane. Poe executes fear in almost every scene as the families go through traumatizing and pain-inflicting challenges within their community. Their belief in some supernatural power and the influence of nature indicates cultural aspects of their community. In my view, such elements of humanity exist in almost every society around the world. Therefore, the story seems to correlate with the real issues which occur in everyone’s life. The narrative triggered my memory of some horror movies I could watch as a young star because of the sufferings and bloodsheds.
The artistic values of the story are overstretching to include both political and moral values in touch with reality. For instance, the narrator talks about oppression and terror dominance as some of the main concerns in his community. He highlights the struggles they had to go through on a daily basis to survive the harsh conditions as a way of exposing how the systems of governance functioned during their era. In my view, such illustrations are pivotal in documenting the history of a country alongside the social ills endured by generations under different regimes. Notably, the allusions to Sir Launcelot’s narrations seem to point at the role of leadership in Poe’s community.
Unfortunately, the article fails to point out the historical moments within which the story would fall. Nonetheless, it is important to understand that much of what Poe writes relates to what America was facing during colonialism and provides a clear mimic of the scenarios which many citizens endured during the era.
The other aspect of the story standing out is its design of conclusion, which seems to showcase a symbolic ending. In my view, short stories should be readable within a single moment and indicate the climax of what authors would wish to achieve among the audiences. Notably, there appears critical use of symbolism in showing how Poe chooses to highlight the theme of family ties and social units. I would opine that the story ends in a satisfying state whereby the mansion is destroyed, and the characters die together as a household.
I like the way Poe makes the narration lively, bringing in the characters’ role in an enjoyable pattern. While reading the story, one can vividly imagine how Roderick faced the challenges, losing touch with reality at some point while another segment of the community continued with their life as usual. Nonetheless, I wouldn’t say I disliked the way the author portrays his role in the story as the villain, whose presence is articulated in the manners his people faced challenges throughout the story. There are multiple instances prompt to help the reader comprehend some of the major societal themes which affected ancient communities.
Succinctly, I feel this tale represents my notion of America, where life has a mixed taste. Although everyone would wish to live the American dream, a considerable number of people endured sufferings and difficulties, which would then be alluded to nature and supernatural beings. The use of blood and terror instance, in my view, would implicate the reigning challenges faced by minority groups because of the dominance of native colonial masters and Native Americans. Such forces still exist in modern society, which is marred by conspiracies and racial challenges.
Work Cited
Poe, Edgar Allan. The fall of the house of usher. Web.